 June 25, 2026
 As summer starts, County readies heat response
Just in time for the beginning of summer, the Pima County Health Department's Office of Heat Response and Relief has published its 2025 Heat Season Report and 2026 Heat Season Plan. The 2026 Heat Season Plan builds on foundational efforts from the 2024 and 2025 heat seasons, continuing to focus on four goals:
- Lead and coordinate a unified, countywide heat‑response system that aligns partners, resources, and policies to protect public health
- Strengthen community awareness and understanding of extreme‑heat events and promote equitable access to heat‑relief information and resources
- Reduce heat‑related illness, emergency system strain, and preventable deaths through targeted, data‑driven interventions
- Advance long‑term climate adaptation through cross‑sector collaboration, sustainable funding, continuous evaluation, and data-driven policy development
Strengthening the connection between invasive species management and wildfire risk reduction
Pima County and its regional partners have made significant progress in the first year of implementation of the Wildfire Mitigation Plan. Recent accomplishments include enhancing wildfire and invasive species messaging, expanding coordination of public education and outreach efforts, improving access to online resources, and strengthening collaboration among land managers, fire agencies, community organizations, and local governments.
Community presentations, educational workshops, volunteer invasive species removal events, and wildfire fuels reduction programs have engaged hundreds of residents throughout Pima County and have strengthened efforts to address invasive species such as buffelgrass and stinknet that increase wildfire risk across the region.
The team is currently gathering data for the last quarter, which ends at the end of June, on the 45 tasks outlined in the plan. They will present the annual report, as well as the 2026-2027 Wildfire Mitigation Plan, to the Board of Supervisors in August.
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New partnership brings climate education directly to students
Classrooms across Pima County are buzzing with discussions about climate change thanks to a new partnership between the Pima County Regional Flood Control District, the City of Tucson, and the Environmental Education Exchange. Together, the organizations are bringing interactive climate education directly into 8th–12th grade classrooms.
The Student Stories of Climate Change program invites students to immerse themselves in evidence of climate change, both globally and within the Sonoran Desert. This two-day interactive educational program utilizes information from trusted organizations such as NASA, NOAA, and the National Weather Service, alongside firsthand accounts from students around the world.
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Transportation seeks public input on comprehensive Master Plan
Whether you drive, bike, or ride transit, the Pima County Transportation Department wants to hear from you! The department is developing MOVING PIMA, the County’s first comprehensive 30-year Transportation Master Plan for unincorporated Pima County.
Guided by public input, MOVING PIMA will help shape future transportation priorities and investments for roads, transit, walking, biking, safety, and regional connectivity. The plan seeks to improve mobility and quality of life while supporting economic vitality and access to jobs, schools, parks, and essential services throughout the County.
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PimaCAN! website resources
Pima County is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change for a prosperous, equitable, and resilient community.
Visit the PimaCAN! website to learn about greenhouse gases, extreme heat resources, wildfire and invasive species, water conservation efforts, and energy use in buildings and transportation.
Also provided on the website are the Priority and Comprehensive Climate Action Plans that were developed with local coalition partners and community input to reduce greenhouse gases in Pima County.
The Pima County Climate Action Plan for County Operations is available as well. This report focuses on resource conservation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions at County-owned facilities, targeting the following topics: carbon and energy, waste and materials, extreme heat, wildfire and invasive species, water, landscapes, and climate and community.
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Highlighting the Santa Cruz River Wildlife Ramp
The Santa Cruz River Wildlife Ramp stands as a nationally recognized structure that blends regional conservation and flood control innovation. Developed by the Pima County Regional Flood Control District and its project partners, the structure is recognized as the nation’s first wildlife ramp integrated directly into a FEMA levee, preserving critical levee function while restoring wildlife connectivity across the Santa Cruz River corridor.
The project was guided by the vision of the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and identified the need for wildlife movement between the Tortolita Mountains, the Tucson Mountains, and Avra Valley.
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Save money on energy-efficient appliances and monthly utility bills
The Arizona Governor’s Office of Resiliency, through its Efficiency Arizona program, offers point-of-purchase rebates for installing qualifying energy-efficient appliances and upgrades in low-income and historically underserved households. A single eligible household may receive up to a total of $14,000 in rebate dollars through their Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates Program (HEAR).
Funds for these opportunities are expected to continue for two to four years, depending on funding availability.
- Electric heat pump: up to $8,000
- Electric heat pump water heater: up to $1,750
- Electric heat pump clothes dryer: up to $840
- Electric stove/cooktop/range/oven: up to $840
- Insulation, air sealing, ventilation: up to $1,600
- Electrical wiring: up to $2,500
- Electrical panel upgrade installation: up to $4,000
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Celebration of Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan’s 25th anniversary continues
Did you know that 2026 marks a quarter-century since the birth of the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan? Pima County’s award-winning plan balances protection of the County’s important cultural and natural resources with the need for responsible development. This year, the County is honoring the anniversary of the plan with guided hikes, history tours, wildlife watching, volunteer stewardship, and other community events.
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